New musical 'How to Dance in Ohio' to premiere on Broadway this fall

The show, based on a documentary about autistic young adults, will feature seven cast members from its Syracuse premiere making their Broadway debuts.

Dance on over to the Belasco Theatre this fall! A new musical, How to Dance in Ohio, will premiere on Broadway in November. Performances begin on November 15 ahead of a December 10 opening.

Rebekah Greer Melocik (bookwriter/lyricist) and Jacob Yandura (composer) wrote the show, based on a Peabody Award-winning documentary of the same name by Alexandra Shiva. How to Dance in Ohio follows seven autistic young adults preparing for a spring formal dance, which pushes them to change their routines as they face their fears and find independence.

The musical adaptation premiered in 2022 at Syracuse Stage. All seven principal cast members, who are all autistic, from that production will return to make their Broadway debuts in the show. They include Desmond Edwards as Remy, Amelia Fei (Yi-Hsuan Fei) as Caroline, Madison Kopec as Marideth, Liam Pearce as Drew, Imani Russell as Mel, Conor Tague as Tommy, and Ashley Wool as Jessica.

The cast also includes Haven Burton as Terry, Darlesia Cearcy as Johanna, Carlos L Encinias, Nick Gaswirth, Melina Kalomas, and Martín Solá. Additional cast has yet to be announced.

The creative team, led by director Sammi Cannold, includes choreographer Mayte Natalio, scenic designer Robert Brill, costume designer Sarafina Bush, lighting designer Bradley King, sound designer Connor Wang, orchestrator Bruce Coughlin, and music director Lily Ling.

Photo credit: Amelia Fei, Ashley Wool, Conor Tague, Desmond Edwards, Imani Russell, Liam Pearce, and Madison Kopec. (Photos courtesy of production)